The Main Line Trap Academy is a team based youth development program for school aged youths (5th – 12th grades) which uses participation in the shooting sports to provide its participants with a positive, life enhancing experience. MLTA is designed to instill in them a set of personal values and character traits that teaches fair play, individual responsibility, sportsmanship, self-discipline and personal commitment – qualities that will serve them well throughout their lives and will be instrumental in helping each athlete reach their full potential.

Our MLTA team activities are designed to incorporate two indispensable elements – SAFETY and FUN.

The athletes led by trained, certified and dedicated coaches, are taught the safe and responsible handling and use of firearms. The learning environment at team practices, and at competitive shoots, is designed to include the element of fun for all participants. Athletes discover the joy of contributing to a shared team goal and the commitment that goes along with it. During this self-discovery process, team members develop proficiency in a sport that can be shared and enjoyed with family and friends for a lifetime.

Competition is clearly a part of the MLTA, but it is NOT the main emphasis of the program. The “Win at all Costs” philosophy has no place in this program. Striving to win while playing by the rules does. Athletes are encouraged to set goals for improving their skills and contribute to the team. Honoring the game, exhibiting good sportsmanship and being a responsible team member are the primary values MLTA wishes to instill in its athletes. It is the duty of everyone involved in the MLTA – Coaches, Parents and Athletes to familiarize themselves with the rules and to uphold the high moral and ethical standards of personal conduct that participating in the shooting sports requires.

The team is being built and run with the “family” in mind. Many of us are juggling other activities, which sounds a lot like life. As a youth development program, we are all about the kids. An example of our passion is captured below:

I recently watched a young athlete walk up to the line at her first competition. She was nervous. This was the very first time she had experienced an audience filled with parents and other competitors watching her shoot. It was easy to sense the pressure she was experiencing. A large group, obviously her family, lined up in lawn chairs behind the trap field with a bird’s eye view of their daughter. When the round started, the first three hit their targets. Then it was her turn. She missed. She adjusted her stance, regained her concentration, and took the shot. She missed the second target. Now the pressure grew and you could see her really focus on the third shot. You could literally sense her determination. She called the bird and smashed it! A cheer came up from the family, the other athletes, and even their families. This never gets old for me. When this young lady hit that first target in competition, it became a moment she and her family will likely remember for the rest of their lives.